I just checked the Winchester I bought this week at the north store. I don't know why I didn't notice it before, but the rifle is lead pot annealed. It is really neat and none of my other WWII rifles are annealed. My rifle is a May 1943. I know why they did it, but my question is; when did they do it? Also, is a lead pot annealed receiver more scarce than a non annealed? The finish is original to the rifle with the added bonus of that beautiful green patina developed, it seems, only when a rifle sits in cosmoline for a number of years.

My early 6-digit SG WRA 137290 - Dec. 1941, I received last year, mail-order/luck of the draw, in a nice post war SA stock-set. Being new to collecting Garands, thought it had a "crappy park job", till others informed me it was lead-dipped/annealed, and looked just as it should. It's one of my favorites, and feel lucky to have such an early one.